Fez blocking and storing device



July 19, 1966 A. E. lRVlN FEZ BLOCKING AND STORING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 13, 1965 Augustus Eugene /r vin INVENTOR. m- BY @W July 19, 1966 A. E. lRVlN FEZ BLOCKING AND STORING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan 13, 1965 Augustus Eugene Irvin INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,261,517 FEZ BLOCKING AND STORING DEVICE Augustus Eugene Irvin, 2 Hillcrest, Mount Vernon, Ill. Filed Jan. 13, 1965, Ser. No. 425,255 3 Claims. (Cl. 223-25) This invention relates to portable hat boxes such as are commonly used for protectively storing, carrying and transporting hats but pertains, more specifically, to a box-like container for a brimless felt cap, a fez for example.

The herein disclosed device or container is unique in that, in addition to its fez enclosing function, it embodies a built-in or self-contained form on which the fez can be effectually stored, blocked and maintained in its desired shape until needed for use.

Briefly, the invention comprises two component parts, namely, a base unit provided with a self-contained blocking and shape sustaining form, and a readily attachable and detachable cover unit.

In carrying out the improved concept the base is characterized by a circular plate having a depending marginal flange, said plate being also provided with circumferentially spaced keepers or catches for correspondingly arranged holddown lugs or detents mounted on the rim or skirt of the cover.

The blocking form is unique in that the bottom part comprises a central riser or boss which is an integral portion of the plate part of the base. In fact, this riser has its marginal portion formed with two progressively distinct steps to accommodate the customary encompassing decorative band at the bottom of the cap. These steps are selectively-useable depending on the head size of the caps band.

Then, too, the form is also novel in that the template portion comprises an openwork frame made up of simple circumferentially spaced equidistant inverted L-shaped strap members of suitable height and having the lower ends of the long limbs anchored detachably on the selected step and the inner ends of their short limbs overlapped and adjustably and separably joined, whereby said frame is adjustable to accommodate the fez which is attachable thereto.

The overall device is simple, practical, light in weight, easy .to handle and use, and well serves the special purpose for which it is patterned and intended.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of the improved fez blocking and storing device;

FIGURE 2 is a view with the parts assembled and appearing primarily in section and with the fez omitted;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view with the cover removed;

FIGURE 4 is a view in perspective of one of the component parts of the openwork frame-type form;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view emphasizing the stepped riser and showing how one of the long legs of one L-shaped member is shifted from its upper position (FIGURES 2 and 3) and anchored in its lower size-adjusting position.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the separable and connectable fastening means between the rim of the cover and the base, this being an optional modification.

3,261,517 Patented July 19, 1966 ice Referring first to FIGURE 1 it will be seen that the base means or unit is denoted, as a structure entity, by the numeral 8. The readily applicable and removable cover is denoted at 10 and the applicable and removable fez by the numeral 12. The fez is of customary construction and comprises a felt or equivalent cap 14, the top .16 of which is provided with an ornamental-tassel 18, the bottom having the regular ornamental ring-like band 20 attached thereto. The component units or parts 8 and 10 are constructed of appropriate sheet material. In practice, it is presumed that the manufacturer will choose an appropriate grade of colorful commercial plastics.

The base 8 is characterized by a plate 22 circular in plan provided around its outer marginal edge with a depending endless flange 24 and further provided, at its junctural connection with the flange, with circumferentially spaced upstanding book-like holddown keepers or catches 26. The major central portion of the plate is molded or otherwise constructed to proivde a riser 28 which is also circular in plan and embodies a disc-like portion 30 disposed in plane above the plate 22. The intervening marginal portion of the riser is circumferentially stepped as at 32 and 34 to provide selectively useable steps. In practice, steps serve to accommodate the encircling band portion 20 depending on the size of the band. The steps serve another purpose which will later be described. The riser 28 constitutes the bottom portion of the fez shaping and storing blocker or form. A significant feature of the concept comprises the aforementioned openwork frame structure which is denoted generally in FIGURE 2 by the numeral 36. This part of the form is adjustable for varying size requirements and can be adjusted in height and also radially whereby to fit telescopically into the fez in the manner shown in FIGURE 1. This frame structure is preferably made up of a plurality (four) of oriented and coordinating component parts each comprising a substantially L-shaped relatively wide but thin member 38 each embodying a vertical long leg 40 which is positioned in the manner shown and a turned in horizontal short leg 42. The free end portion 44 of each leg is provided with an open slot or notch 46. Therefore and in practice the inner slotted end portions of the limbs 44 are overlapped and separably and adjustably joined by a bolt 45 maintained in place by a wing nut 48 in the manner shown in FIG- URE 2. The lower end portions of the long or vertical legs are mounted and maintained in place by an associated bolt 50 and nut 52. The annular step portions 32 and 34 are provided with properly arranged and spaced bolt holes two of which are denoted at 54 in FIGURE 2. -It follows that the legs 40 can be bolted to the upper step member 32 or shifted and moved down and bolted to the lower step member 34 as shown in FIGURE 5. It is also clear that with this construction the adjustably connected and adjustably mounted L-shaped members can be arranged and satisfactorily adjusted and set to accommodate the users fez.

The readily attachable and detachable hood-type cover 10 when applied to the base unit 8 provides a fez enclosing and protecting container. The cover comprises a top portion 56 having a hand-grip 58 and a depending skirt or rim 60 Whose lower end is flared outwardly to provide a yieldable lip 62. In practice this lip is preferably provided with circumferentially spaced outstanding segmental lugs 64 (see FIGURE 6) which are releasably engageable with the holddown catches or keepers 26.

In practice the L-shaped members 38 of the frame structure 36 are first adjusted in a self-evident manner to accommodate the fez which is to be fitted thereon. The fez is positioned over the form in the manner shown in FIGURE 1 with the banded portion 20 surrounding either the top step 32 or the bottom step 34. The cover is put in position and rotated in the manner suggested by the arrow in FIGURE 6 and is accordingly removably fastened in place.

The fastening means for the cover 10 may be with or without the lugs 64. In either instance the lip 62 should be amply resilient to readily snap into place.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A portable shape holding, storing and carrying container for a fez comprising: a circular base plate having a depending annular marginal flange and upstanding circumferentially spaced marginal keepers providing cover holddown catches, said plate being provided at its center with a marginally stepped riser, said riser being circular in plan and the marginal steps thereon being selectively usable and adapted to fit telescopingly into the banded portion of fezes of different sizes, a plurality of inverted L-shaped strap members spaced apart circumferentially, the lower ends of the long limbs being selectively and separably connected with either of the aforementioned steps and rising perpendicularly from the level of the step selected, the short limbs being horizontally disposed and turned in toward each other, the free ends being slotted and overlapped and means separably and adjustably bolting said free end together.

2. A portable shape holding, storing and carrying container for a fez comprising: a circular base plate having a depending annular marginal flange, the junctional portion of the marginal edge of said plate adjacent to said flange being provided with circumferentially spaced upstanding keepers providing holddown catches for an attachable and removable cover for said base, the central portion of said plate being provided with a vertically elevated riser, said riser being circular in plan and having concentric annular steps disposed in horizontal planes one above the other, said steps being selectively usable and adapted to fit telescopingly into the customary banded portion of an applicable and removable fez, an upstanding openwork frame structure providing a form for the fez into which it is adapted to project when the fez is in use, said frame structure embodying a plurality of inverted substantially L-shaped strap members, each strap member embodying a horizontal short limb and a vertical long limb, the terminal end portions of the short limbs of the respective members being separably and adjustably joined in coacting relationship, the lower ends of the long limbs being separably and selectively connected with a chosen one of the aforementioned steps and rising perpendicularly from the level of the selected step.

3. The structure defined in claim 2 and in combination, a readily applicable and removable hood-like cover having a depending rim with a bottom lip resting atop the marginal edge of the top surface of said base plate and provided with fastening members releasably engaged with their respectively cooperable holddown catches.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,845,076 2/ 1932 Copeland 22324 2,465,477 3/1949 Polite 223-84 2,490,508 12/1949 Delgatto 22384 X 3,036,698 5/ 1-962 Gronemeyer 22384 X JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

G. V. LARKIN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A PORTABLE SHAPE HOLDING, STORTING AND CARRYING CONTAINER FOR A FEZ COMPRISING: A CIRCULAR BASE PLATE HAVING A DEPENDING ANNULAR MARGINAL FLANG E AND UPSTANDING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED MARGINAL KEEPERS PROVIDING COVER HOLDDOWN CATCHES, SAID PLATE BEING PROVIDED AT ITS CENTER WITH A MARGINALLY STEPPED RISER, SAID RISER BEING CIRCULAR IN PLAN AND THE MARGINAL STEPS THEREON BEING SELECTIVELY USABLE AND ADAPTED TO FIT TELESCOPINGLY INTO THE BANDED PORTION OF FEZES OF DIFFERENT SIZES, A PLURALITY OF INVERTED L-SHAPED STRAP MEMBERS SPACED APART CIRCUMFERENTIALLY, THE LOWER ENDS OF THE LONG LIMBS BEING SELECTIVELY AND SEPARABLY CONNECTED WITH EITHER OF THE AFOREMENTIONED STEPS AND RISING PERPENDICULARLY FROM THE LEVEL OF THE STEP SELECTED, THE SHORT LIMBS BEING HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED AND TURNED IN TOWARD EACH OTHER, THE FREE ENDS BEING SLOTTED AND OVERLAPPED AND MEANS SEPARABLY ADJUSTABLY BOLTING SAID FREE END TOGETHER. 